Arya

Witch

✿ Hansel and Gretel

"It's been a month and its never going to end, is it?" I looked at Oliver. "Im not even going to have the illusion of safety."

"I know that I can't undo my mistakes, but... I believe that we will get past it." He sat on a bench in front of the fireplace.

"I thought so too. But one thing leads to another, keeping it alive, and when I look at you... I remember. It is torment, Oliver, and I... Can't do this anymore."

"But separate lives won't work for us. When I told you that queens dont have freedom of a king, I wasn't trying to control you."

"You were just telling me the truth. What I am saying is that I want you to be free. You can find love with someone else."

He looked away and sighed.

"Kings have done it in the last."

He looked back at me, "I dont want to be free."

"We've both been pretending that we can make things the way they were before. We both know that's impossible." I walked towards him, "It's just taken us this long to admit it." I sat next to him and looked at the fireplace.

"How could you send me to another?" I looked into his eyes and he asked, "How?"

I placed my hand on his hair, moving it back and holding the side of his face, "because I love you. And one of us should be happy." I leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

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"How many are dead?" Oliver asked Julian.

"At least 40. 19 hostages. If the boys are still alive."

"Children," Oliver spoke in rage. "What are the radicals doing? Ransoming them, or do they plan on slaughtering them, as well?"

"The parents. Some of the nobles of the local children are beginning to gather to meet with us."

"Extracting children from an armed assault. The boys could die in the melee." Julian grew worried.

A servant came in and whispered to me, "Aladar is in that church with the other boys." I looked at Oliver and the air felt tight.

"Arya, what's wrong?" He asked grabbing my arm as I almost fell.

"We need to send whatever men we have to that church. Aladar is there." I held onto his arm and he looked at Julian.

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"What are you doing to save our sons?"

"We are sending envoys to negotiate their release, and if that fails, we will secure the safest possible route to rescue them."

"This scum would never have dared to take our son's hostage, or kill men if God, if our army were here." The count looked at the other parents.

"Count, watch your tongue." I glared at him then looked at the other worried parents. "I know that you fear for the life of your sons, but you are addressing your sovereign king." I hid the worried look on my face for Aladar.

"These rebels will be captured and hanged, and I will do everything in this nation's power to return your sons to you safely."

"We know there is nothing more precious to you than your children, and we will defend them as if they were our own."

"Come, let us leave the king to attend to your sons." Lord Weylyn guided them out of the throne room.

I couldn't stop thinking of Aladar and what they could do to the children.